Well tool



M M. HASHA July 27, 1965 WELL TOOL Filed May 15, 1963 INVENTOR. BYMV MUnited States Patent 3,196,951 WELL TGGL Malvern M. Hasha, LalreQharles, La. (414 outh Coast Bldg, Houston, Terr.) Filed May 13, 1963,Ser. No. 230,039 6 Ciairns. (Cl. res-132) The present invention relatesto an arrangement for locking a device at a predetermined position in atubular member, and more particularly to an arrangement for preventingejection of a device from the open end of a tubular member.

In the drilling of oil and gas wells, various operations are performedwherein tools or other mechanisms are lowered into the well bore througha tubular member. In some instances, the devices are lowered on cables,and in other instances, the devices are merely dropped through thetubular member. Where the tubular member is open-ended, the device maybecome lost in the well bore, thereby necessitating a fishing operationto recover the object from the well bore even though it may be loweredon a wireline since if it passes out the lower end of the tubularmember, the wireline may become fouled to such an extent to prevent theorderly withdrawal of the device secured thereto.

Also, in drilling oil and gas wells, it may desirable to position apacker or other well tool in a tubular member at a predeterminedposition. The present invention provides an arrangement whereby this maybe quickly and easily accomplished.

It is desirable at times to move an object through a pipeline for thepurpose of separating products that may be conveyed through the pipelineor for other purposes such as cleaning or coating the pipeline. Thepresent invention provides an arrangement whereby an object may be movedthrough a pipeline, and its ejection at the other end of the pipelinecontrolled in a predetermined manner.

An object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement forpreventing the ejection of a device from the open end of a tubularmember.

Still another object of the present invention is to pro vide anarrangement whereby a device can be lowered into a well bore and set ina tubular member in the well bore at a predetermined position.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide anarrangement which may be moved through a tubular member in onedirection, the device including means for engaging the tubular memberthrough which the device is moved to thereby prevent further movement ofthe device, said means being constructed and arranged so that it willremain in nonactivated position as the device is moved through thetubular member in a normal manner.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a lockingarrangement whereby a device may be locked in a tubular memberimmediately prior to its ejection from the open end of the tubularmember to thereby position the device in the tubular member or toprevent loss of the device through the open end of the .tubular member.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a lockingarrangement for a device which remains inactive as it moves through atubular member of predetermined diameter but which locking arrangementfunctions when a portion of the tubular member is reached 3,195,950Patented July 27, 1965 will become more readily apparent from aconsideration of the following description and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a form of the present invention andillustrating the relationship of the components of the invention as itis moved through a tubular member;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the device inactuated position to prevent further movement through a tubular member;and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33.

Attention is first directed to FIG. 1 of the drawings wherein a tubularmember is illustrated at 3. The present invention is referred togenerally by the numeral 4 and includes a body 5 which is provided withsuitable coupling means such as the threads 6 for securing to a deviceillustrated in dotted line and represented by the numeral 7. The device7 may be any tool or mechanism which is moved through the tubular member3. It can be appreciated that the device 7 may be coupled or connectedto the body 5 by any suitable means. The body 5 is formed by theportions 3 and 9 which are spaced longitudinally relative to each otherto provide the cavity 9a between the portions 8 and 9. The body portions8 and 9 are connected by suitable means such as the rods 10. Anysuitable number of rods 10 may be employed, and three of such rods areillustrated as being provided in FIG. 3 and are shown as beingcircumferentially spaced on the portions 8 and 9 in any suitable mannersuch as that shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings. The rods 10 may be securedto the body portions 8 and 9 by any suitable means such as welding or byscrews or the like. A mandrel 11 projects beyond the end 12 of the bodyportion 9 and is adapted to be slidably received in the longitudinallyextending bore 13 which extends through the body portion 9 as shown inFIG. 1 of the drawings. The mandrel 11 extends upwardly into the bodyportion 8 and is shown in the drawings as being telescopicaliy receivedin the bore 14 of the body portion 8 as shown in the drawings.

The mandrel 11 is connected at its forward end to a coupling member 15by any suitable means such as welding or the like, and bow spring means16 are connected at one end to the coupling i5 and at the other end tothe body portion 9 by any suitable means such as welding or by screws orthe like, the bow springs functioning to effect relative longitudinalmovement of the mandrel 11 and body portions 8 and 9 in a manner as willbe described in greater detail hereinafter. The collar member 15 may beof any suitable form and is shown as being concave at 15a on its lowersurface to provide a contact surface.

A collar2u is secured on the mandrel 11 in the cavity 9a between thebody portions 8 and 9, the collar 20 in turn supporting slip segments 21thereon. The slip segments are carried on supports 21a, and the supports21a are secured at one end to the collar 20 by suitable means such asscrews or the like as illustrated at 22 whereby the slip segments 21 maybe removed from the collar 20 for adjustment of the collar 20 along themandrel 11 in a manner as will be described in greater detailhereinafter or for repair or replacement of the slip segments 21 as maybe necessary.

Any suitable number of slip segments may be mounted on the collar 20;however, three segments are illustrated in the drawings as beingcircumferentially spaced of the collar 2th illustrated in FIG. 3 of thedrawings.

The slip segments 21 are provided with teeth 23 for engaging the wall ofthe tubular member 3 and preventing further movement of the body 5through the tubular member 3 in one direction, and to accomplish this,the body portion 8 is provided with a conical surface 25 which isadapted to abut the rear surface 26 of slip segments 21 when the slipsegments are moved longitudinally so that the slip segments 21 arethereby urged radially outward and into locking engagement with theinner wall of the tubular member 3.

The bow spring means 16 are of suitable longitudinal extent so as tospan any coupling recesses which normally occur in the tubular member 3as the device moves through the tubular member. It can be appreciatedthat if fluid or liquid is present in the tubular member 3, .suitablemeans must be provided for enabling escape of the fluid from the bore 14as the end 11a of the mandrel moves toward the end of the bore 14 inbody portion 8, and for this purpose, a fluid escape passage means inthe form of opening 30 is provided to prevent a fluid lock from beingformed in the tool which would interfere with proper functioning of thetool.

In FIG. 1 of the drawings, the invention is illustrated in its normalrunning in position in a tubular member, and in this relationship, itcan be seen that the bow spring members 16 are held against collapsingto their normal radially expanded position such as that illustrated inFIG. 2 and are of a suitable size so as to fit within the tubular member3 and when engaged against the inner wall thereof, they are extended andthus held until they collapse to the position shown in FIG. 2. When thebow spring members 16 are restrained against collapsing to theirnormally radially expanded position, the mandrel 11 is positioned in apredetermined longitudinal relationship relative to the body portions 8and 9, and this in turn positions the slip segments 23 in a nonactivatedposition and spaced from the conical surface 25 on the body portion 8.

It can be appreciated that the present invention may be used in tubularmembers of different diameter. In order to assure proper actuation ofthe slip segments regardless of the size pipe the present invention maybe used in, it may be necessary to adjust the collar longitudinally ofthe mandrel 11 immediately upon inserting the device into the tubularmember 3. This may be accomplished by first depressing the bow springmeans 16 so that they extend in length and reduce in diameter wherebythe device may be inserted into the tubular member 3. The device is thenheld in a position so as to expose the collar 20 and slip segments 21whereupon the collar 20 may be adjusted longitudinally of the mandrel 11so that when the bow springs 16 are engaged with the inner wall of thetubular member 3, the slip segments 21 will be adjacent, but slightlyspaced, from the conical surface 25. In order to accomplish this adjustment, the coupling 20 may be secured on the mandrel 11 in any suitablemanner, and one such form consists of providing threads 32 which extendlongitudinally of the tubular member for a distance which threads areadapted to engage the threaded lock collar 33 that is integrally formedon the upper end of the collar 26. The slip segments 21 may be removed,and the collar 20 and stop collar 23 rotated along the mandrel 11 whilethe bow spring means 16 is engaged with the wall of the tubular member 3to position the collar longitudinally of the mandrel 11 in cavity 9a sothat when the slip segments are secured on the collar 20, their surface26 will be slightly spaced from the conical surface on the body portion8. Thus, when the invention 4 is moved through the tubular member 3, theslips 21 will remain in deactivated position until an enlargement in thetubular member 3 occurs or until the bow springs 16 move out the loweropen end of the tubular member as represented by the numeral 35 in FIG.2.

In FIG. 2, the device is shown in its activated position, and thetubular member 3 is shown as having a lower open end 35 with the bowspring means 16 having moved out the lower end of the tubular member.When this occurs, the bow spring means 16 moves to its normally radiallycollapsed position, and this causes relative longitudinal movement ofthe mandrel 11 in the body 5 which moves the slip segments 21longitudinally and abuts them against the frustro conical surface 25 onbody portion 8. When this occurs, the slip segments 21 are urgedradially outwardly to engage and grip the inner wall of the tubulamember in one direction. Thus, as the invention 4 and device '7 securedthereto is moved through the tubular member 3 in the directionrepresented by the arrow designated at 38 in FIG. 2, such movement willcontinue until the bow spring means 16 protrudes from the lower open end35 of the tubular member 3 whereupon the slip segments 21 are activatedand thereby prevent further movement of the invention 4 and device 7secured thereto through the tubular member 3 in the directionrepresented by the arrow 38.

The present invention has particular utility in the drilling of oil andgas wells where an open-ended tubular member is employed, and devicesare lowered thereinto. It can be appreciated that the present inventionprevents loss or ejection of tools from an open-ended tubular member andthereby eliminates the necessity of fishing operations which mightotherwise occur to recover the objects ejected out the open end of thetubular member.

The device 7 may be provided with a fishing neck of any suitablewell-known form so that it may be engaged by a grapple, and upon upwardmovement, the device 4 can be withdrawn from the tubular member 3.

Also, it can be appreciated that the present invention could be employedto position tools or objects at a selected location in a tubular memberby providing an enlargement at the lower end of the tubular member or atthe level where it is desired to position the tool. FIG. 2 represents anenlargement in dotted line at 40 as being secured in the tubular member3. The enlargement 40 is of sufficient size to permit the bow springmeans 16 to collapse to their radially extended position. The bow springmeans 16 upon reaching the enlarged portion 40 of the tubular member,would collapse in a manner as described hereinabove and function to setthe tool at the predetermined location. Also, the invention 4 could bpropelled or moved through a pipeline or other conduit to perform adesired function therein, and the positioning of an object in a conduitat a selected location or its ejection from the pipeline could becontrolled by the present invention as described above.

Broadly, the present invention relates to a safety device, and moreparticularly to a device which prevents improper ejection of tools froman open-end tubular member or may be used to position a tool in atubular member at a selected location.

What is claimed is:

1. An arrangement for preventing the ejection of a device from a tubularmember comprising,

(a) a body adapted for movement through a tubular member,

(b) a mandrel movable longitudinally relative to said body,

(c) collapsible spring means secured to said body and to said mandrel,said spring means engaging the wall of the tubular member to restrainsaid spring means against collapsing and thereby retain said mandrel inpredetermined longitudinal relationship with respect to said body,

(d) engaging means connected to said mandrel and adapted on longitudinalrelative movement between said mandrel and body to engage said body tobe urged outwardly to engage the tubular member and prevent furthermovement of said body thercthrough, and

(e) said spring means adapted to collapse radially upon moving out ofthe tubular member whereupon said mandrel is moved longitudinally withrespect to said body whereby said engaging means locks said body againstejection from the tubular member.

2. An arrangement for looking a device in a tubular member at apredetermined position comprising,

(a) a body adapted for movement through a tubular member,

(b) a mandrel movable longitudinally relative to said body,

(c) means supported by said mandrel and movable to engage the tubularmember and stop further movement of said body in one direction throughthe tubular member,

(d) spring means carried by said body and engaged with said mandrel andtending to urge said stop means to engagement with the tubular member,

(e) said spring means adapted to engage the inner wall of the tubularmember as said spring means moves through the tubular member wherebysaid spring means is restrained from moving said mandrel and therebyurging said stop means into engagement with the tubular member,

(f) means for initially adjusting and positioning said stop means onsaid mandrel in a nonengaging position with the tubular member when saidspring means is engaged with the wall of the tubular mem her, and

(g) said spring means upon disengagement with the wall of the tubularmember urging said stop means into engagement with the tubular member tostop further movement of said body through the tubular member in onedirection.

3. A tool for locking in a tubular member at a predetermined positioncomprising,

(a) a body adapted for movement through the tubular member,

(b) a mandrel projecting from the forward end of said body and movablelongitudinally of said body,

(c) bow spring means connecting between said forward body end and saidmandrel for effecting relative longitudinal movement between saidmandrel and body,

(d) said bow spring means adapted to engage the wall of the tubularmember to maintain said mandrel and body in a predetermined longitudinalrelation as they move through the tubular member,

(e) slip means mounted on said mandrel and spaced longitudinally fromsaid forward body end,

(f) said body having a recess to receive said slip means and a taperedsurface means against which said slip means may be moved to urge saidslip means into engagement with the tubular member and thereby lock saidbody against further movement in the tubular member in one direction,and

(g) said mandrel movable longitudinally of said body by radialcollapsing of said bow spring means upon their release from engagementwith the tubular member wall to contact said slip means on said taperedsurface means and thereby move said slip means into locking engagementwith the tubular member.

4. A tool for locking in a tubular member at a predetermined positioncomprising,

(a) a body adapted for movement through the tubular member,

(b) a mandrel projecting from the forward end of said body and movablelongitudinally of said body,

(c) bow spring means connecting between said forward body end and saidmandrel for effecting relative longitudinal movement between saidmandrel and body,

(d) said bow spring means adapted to engage the wall of the tubularmember to maintain said mandrel and body in a predetermined longitudinalrelation as they move through the tubular'member,

(e) slip means mounted on said mandrel and spaced longitudinally fromsaid forward body end,

(f) said body having a recess to receive said slip means and a taperedsurface means against which said slip means may be moved to urge saidslip means into engagement with the tubular member and thereby lock saidbody against further movement in the tubular member in one direction,

(g) said mandrel movable longitudinally of said body upon collapsing ofsaid bow spring means when released from engagement with the tubularmember wall to contact said slip means on said tapered surface means andthereby move said slip means into locking engagement with the tubularmember, and

(h) means for adjusting said slip means longitudinally of said mandrelwhereby said slip means may be adjusted relative to said tapered surfacemeans so that when said bow spring means are in position for engagingthe inner wall of the tubular member said slip means are spaced fromsaid tapered surface means.

5. A tool for locking in a tubular member at a predetermined positioncomprising,

(a) a body adapted for movement through the tubular member,

(b) a mandrel projecting from the forward end of said body and movablelongitudinally of said body,

(c) bow spring means connecting between said forward body end and saidmandrel for effecting relative longitudinal movement between saidmandrel and body,

(d) said bow spring means adapted to engage the wall of the tubularmember to maintain said mandrel and body in a predetermined longitudinalrelation as they move through the tubular member,

(e) slip means mounted on said mandrel and spaced longitudinally fromsaid forward body end,

(f) said body having a recess to receive said slip means and a taperedsurface means against which said slip means may be moved to urge saidslip means into engagement with the tubular member and thereby lock saidbody against further movement in the tubular member in one direction,

(g) said mandrel movable longitudinally of said body by collapsing saidbow spring means upon their release from engagement with the tubularmember wall to contact said slip means on said tapered surface means andthereby move said slip means into locking engagement with the tubularmember, and

(h) said mandrel telescopically fitting in said body and there beingfluid escape passage means between the end of said mandrel and said bodywhereby fluid may discharge from said body as said mandrel telescopesthereinto.

5. A tool for locking in a tubular member at a predetermined positioncomprising,

(a) a body adapted for movement through the tubular member,

(b) a mandrel projecting from the forward end of said body and movablelongitudinally of said body,

(c) bow spring means connecting between said forward body end and saidmandrel for effecting relative longitudinal movement between saidmandrel and body,

(d) said bow spring means adapted to engage the wall of the tubularmember to maintain said mandrel and body in a predetermined longitudinalrelation as they move through the tubular member,

(e) slip means mounted on said mandrel and spaced longitudinally fromsaid forward body end,

(f) said body having a recess to receive said slip means and a taperedsurface means against which said slip means may be moved to urge saidslip means into engagement with the tubular member and thereby lock saidbody against further movement in the tubular member in one direction,

(g) said mandrel movable longitudinally of said body by collapsing saidbow spring means upon their release from engagement with the tubularmember wall to contact said slip means on said tapered surface means andthereby move said slip means into locking engagement with the tubularmember,

(h) means for adjusting said slip means longitudinally (i) said mandreltelescopically fitting in said body and 8 there being fluid escapepassage means between the end of said mandrel and said body wherebyfluid may discharge from said body as said mandrel telescopes thereinto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,670,964 5/28Hay et a1. 166-132 1,690,536 11/28 Hartman 166137 X 2,568,005 9/51Holder et a1. 166215 CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

1. AN ARRANGEMENT FOR PREVENTING THE EJECTION OF A DEVICE FROM A TUBULARMEMBER COMPRISING, (A) A BODY ADAPTED FOR MOVEMENT THROUGH A TUBULARMEMBER, (B) A MANDREL MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY RELATIVE TO SAID BODY, (C)COLLAPSIBLE SPRING MEANS SECURED TO SAID BODY AND TO SAID MANDREL, SAIDSPRING MEANS ENGAGING THE WALL OF THE TUBULAR MEMBER TO RESTRAIN SAIDSPRING MEANS AGAINST COLLAPSING AND THEREBY RETAIN SAID MANDREL INPREDETERMINED LONGITUDINAL RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO SAID BODY, (D)ENGAGING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID MANDREL AND ADAPTED ON LONGITUDINALRELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN